Union.



G. H. WINDSOR.

UNION.

APPLIOATION FILED 111111: 24, 1911.

1,069,916, Patented Aug. 12,1913.

2 BHEBTS8HEET 1.

0. Hi. WINDSOR.

UNION.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 24, 1911.

1,969,91 6. Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 21 CHARLES H. WINDSOR, OF PALMYRA, NEW JERSEY.

UN ION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

Application filed .Tune 24, 1911. Serial No. 635,221.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that. I, CHARLES HERBERT WINDSOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Palmyra, in the county of Burlington and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Unions, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to unions, and, as illustrated in the accompanying disclosure, is shown in connection with pipe unions, which unions comprise, as their essential features, two coupling members, by means of which the ends of the pipes may be brought into intimate contact and so united as to make a tight joint. Obviously, while i this type of union is shown to illustrate one embodiment of my disclosure, the invention may be applied to other unions without departing from the spirit thereof.

The invention has for its object to provide a union which may be conveniently and securely locked against displacement, due to creeping of the parts or other causes, and one in which the locking of the parts together may be effected regardless of their relative angular positions.

I accomplish this object by providing the coupling members which, as shown, are of the nut and screw coupling type, with a plurality of locking recesses and lugs, carried, respectively, by the two members and so disposed as that no matter what the angular position of the parts may be, registry of at least one of the lugs with a locking recess will occur.

Referring to the drawings, accompanying this disclosure, Figure 1 is a side view of a pipe union embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on approximately line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view, looking downwardly in Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is an enlarged detail view to illustrate the locking lug entering the locking recess. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing another embodiment of my invention. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the coupling shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a plan view looking from the top of the coupling shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a detail view to show the locking lug a7nd recesses of the coupling shown in Fi I teferring to the drawings by numerals, like numbers indicating like parts in the several views, 9 and 10 lndicate, respectively, the pipe sections forming the union, one of these sections, in the form shown, being pro vided with a flange 11 which engagesthe flange on the coupling nut 12, said coupling nut being threaded interiorly to engage a threaded head or flange 13 on the pipe section 9. The flange or head 13 on the pipe section 9 is provided with a plurality of recesses 14 on its outer surface, as shown, of anysuitable width and depth, the rim or upper edge of the nut 12 being provided with a plurality of lugs 15 of substantially the same widthas the width of the recesses 14 in the head 13.

It is obvious that in setting up the nut 12 to bring the union together, if the locking recesses and lugs are regularly placed with respect to one another, that some difficulty would be experienced in bringing the lugs and recesses into registry with each other, in order that a locking lug, 15, as shown, may enter a locking recess and hold the nut against displacement. In order to insure registry of a lug with a locking recess somewhere in the circumferential series, at practically any angular position, I have adopted the construction best shown in F ig. 3, in which the recesses 14 and the lugs 15 are unequal in number, this embodiment showing the number of lugs to be one less than the number of recesses, and, as best illustrated in Fig. 3, this arrangement results in an asymmetric relation of the lugs and recesses of the series radially with respect to one other, except, of course, the particular lug and recess which are to be interlocked. By

this arrangement it will be observed that the relation of the lugs and recesses is such as to insure registry of at least one lug and recess at very slight angular intervals in the movement of the nut, thus eliminating the necessity of bringing the parts through a wide angle to a fixed or predetermine angular relation before the interlocking may be done. When the lug 15 has been brought opposite a recess in setting up the coupling, the lug will be bent downwardly, the material of which the nut is formed'being of malleable or bendable metal, and the parts securely locked against rotation. Preferably one side wall of the lug 15, as at 16, (Fig. 4), will be inclined, this inclined wall being the rear side wall of the lug 15, so that when the lug is brought to the position shown in Fig. 4., and then bent inwardly, the inclined wall 16, riding down the wall of the rality radial asymmetry of the recesses with re spect to one another, a very slight angular movement of the nut will serve to bring one or the other of the lockin lugs on the nut into registry with one o the recesses, so that they are, in practice, invariably brought to a position of registry, where the interlocking of the arts may be readily secured. In this form o theinvention, the matter-of making the lugs and recesses in unequal numbers is immaterial, for the reason that the irregular spacing radially of the recesses providesa coupling which is always sure to be brought, on very slight angular movement of the'parts, to a proper position for interlocking.

The coupling may be readily disconnected, if desired, either by turning back the downturned locking lug or by cutting it off, the plurality of lugs and recesses providing ample means for reengaging the parts in locked position, even if one of the lugs be destroyed in uncoupling.

What I claim is '1. A union comprising complementary couplin members, one of which has a pluo circumferentially arranged lockin recesses formed therein; and a plurality o recess-engagin lugs on the other member disposed in re. ial asymmetry relative to the said recesses.

'2. A union comprising complementary coupling members, one of which has a looking recess formed therein; and a recess-engaging lug on the other member, the side wall of one of said locking elements bein inclined relative to the proximate side wal of the other locking'element.

3. A union comprising complementary coupling members, one of which has a lock ing recess formed therein; and a recess-engaging lug on the other member having an inclined side wall.

4. A union comprising complementary coupling members, one of which has a plurality of locking recesses formed thereon; and a plurality of bendable recess-engaging lugs on the other member in radial asymmetry relative to said recesses; whereby, on relative angular movement of the. union members registry of a recess and lug will result.

5. A union comprising complementary coupling members, one of which has a plurality of locking recesses formed therein;

and aplurality of recess-engaging lugs on the other member, one set of said locking elements being arranged in radial asymmetry relative to the other.

6. A union comprising complementary coupling members, one of which has a plurality of locking recesses formed therein,

and a plurality of recess-engaging lugs on the other member, the elements of one of said locking members being asymmetrically arranged with respect to one another.

7. A union comprising complementary coupling members, one of which has a plurality of locking recesses arranged asymmetrically with respect to'one another, and a plurality of recess-engaging lugs on the other member symmetrically arranged with respect to one another.

i In testimony whereof I. have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. WINDSOR. Witnesses:

ARTHUR L. BRYANT, A. V. CUSHMAN. 

